Chapter 436: Ti Hun

The woman was not breathtakingly beautiful, but her smile just now had been utterly enchanting, full of allure and grace.

This took Han Li completely by surprise.

Had his Dafan Scripture not shown any reaction, he might have suspected the woman was using some refined seduction technique.

If so, his earlier lapse in composure would seem rather strange.

Han Li muttered silently to himself a few times, then turned to glance again at Princess Zhao Ziling.

She had already returned to her demure, modest demeanor; the mesmerizing, soul-stirring charm she'd displayed moments before had vanished without a trace.

As Han Li was silently puzzled, the gray-robed elder walked over toward him.

"I am Ge Li from TianTai Island. May I ask the names of the two virtuous ones?" the elder bowed politely to Han Li and the others.

Han Li set aside his lingering suspicion for now and smiled in reply:

"I am Han Li. This is Princess Zhao Ziling of Miaoyin Sect."

Upon hearing Han Li's name, the elder's expression remained unchanged, but when he heard "Miaoyin Sect" and "Zhao Ziling," he could not hide his surprise.

"I've long heard of Princess Zhao Ziling of Miaoyin Sect. I never imagined I'd see you in person today—truly a fortune of three lifetimes!" the elder said, though his eyes were heavy with doubt.

Clearly, Princess Zhao Ziling's appearance did not match her legendary beauty, leaving the elder taken aback.

Princess Zhao Ziling, of course, recognized his flattery, but merely smiled faintly and said nothing.

Yet the elder was no ordinary man—he quickly regained his composure and smiled at Han Li:

"Since we've all been teleported here together, it must be a great fate. Why not join forces to pass this trial? After all, this Ghost Grievance Land is no easy place. I've heard many Core Formation cultivators who attempted it were devoured by ghosts and left not even bones behind."

As Ge Li spoke the last part, his expression grew solemn, as if he knew much about the Xu Tian Palace.

When Han Li heard "Ghost Grievance Land," he glanced toward the distance.

Beyond their small hillock, some fifteen zhang away, everything was shrouded in a gray haze, endless waves of pale mist drifting everywhere. A cold wind blew through the mist, carrying faint wails and shrieks of ghosts that sent chills down the spine.

These ghostly mists were held back just beyond the hillock by a faint, almost invisible white glow, unable to advance even a single inch. Otherwise, Han Li and the others would have had no time to discuss strategy—they'd already been swarmed by wandering spirits.

Seeing this, Han Li looked upward.

Above, the mist was equally thick, obscuring all sight—it hardly seemed like the inside of a palace. If told he was in some remote wilderness, Han Li would have believed it more readily.

At this, Princess Zhao Ziling, who had been listening, spoke up with concern:

"I've heard too that this first trial, the Ghost Grievance Land, was never difficult to pass. But as more cultivators became trapped in the ghost mist, it grew dangerous. The resentment of those trapped cultivators was so intense that upon death, they transformed into powerful, vengeful spirits who harbor deep hatred toward all intruders. Once encountered, they fight to the death. As a result, in recent openings of the Xu Tian Palace, more cultivators have perished here than ever before. I've also heard that during the last opening, a group of cultivators in this Ghost Grievance Land actually encountered a ghost king with full awareness. The entire group was annihilated—only one escaped."

"Ghost king?" Han Li rubbed his chin, showing a hint of surprise.

Though he didn't fully understand the rank divisions among ghostly beings, he knew a ghost king was roughly equivalent to a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. And with their intelligence now equal to that of ordinary humans, dealing with them would be extremely difficult.

Seeing Han Li lost in thought, Ge Li quickly added:

"I know the chance of encountering a ghost king is slim, but it's safer if we travel together. Though I'm old, I have no wish to die here and become one of these vengeful spirits."

The elder was surprisingly candid.

Princess Zhao Ziling heard this but said nothing.

She was far too astute to believe the elder proposed teamwork for her sake—he was clearly interested in Han Li.

So after speaking up once, she quietly stood beside Han Li and said no more.

Han Li listened to the elder's words and smiled.

He did not answer directly, but glanced at the black-robed figure beside them before speaking calmly:

"Have you asked that brother over there? Does he wish to join us?"

When Ge Li heard Han Li mention the black-robed man, his face darkened. After hesitating, he muttered bitterly:

"Bah! Don't mention that demonic cultivator. When we first teleported here, I kindly suggested we join forces. He coldly told me to get lost! If my temper weren't so good, I'd have made him pay for that."

After saying this, the elder looked furious.

Han Li's expression remained calm, but he now felt a flicker of interest in the black-robed man.

He turned his head and called out loudly to the demonic cultivator:

"Brother, would you care to join forces? If we several Core Formation cultivators unite, even if we truly face a ghost king, we still stand a chance!"

Han Li's voice was not loud, but crystal clear—surely it reached the man's ears.

Yet the man merely glanced coldly in their direction, then turned away without a word, ignoring Han Li's proposal entirely.

"Han Daoist! I told you so! That man has no sense of decency. Let's just go together, the three of us," the elder snorted at the black-robed man.

Clearly, he still harbored resentment over his earlier insult.

Han Li smiled faintly, before he could say anything further—

Princess Zhao Ziling beside him suddenly made a soft "hmm?" of surprise, her expression shifting.

Han Li froze and followed her gaze.

The black-robed man was walking straight into the ghost mist—as if he intended to pass through alone.

Han Li and the other two were stunned.

Then Ge Li sneered with contempt:

"This man is asking for death! To enter the ghost mist alone? He won't survive this trial."

Han Li ignored the elder's mockery, instead half-closing his eyes and watching the black-robed man's every move.

He didn't believe the man was committing suicide—he suspected the man had some special method and was confident he could pass alone.

The black-robed man reached the boundary between ghost mist and white light, raised his loose sleeve, and from within it shot out a green light that landed before him.

It was a small spirit beast resembling a monkey.

The little monkey stood no more than a chi tall, its emerald fur faintly glowing.

Most peculiar was its nose—towering, enormous, taking up more than half its face, giving it an uncanny, almost monstrous appearance.

Han Li was merely intrigued, but the elder beside him turned pale and cried out:

"It's Ti Hun! He has this spirit beast! No wonder he's so arrogant!" The elder's face showed clear shock.

Princess Zhao Ziling, upon seeing the little monkey, was equally stunned.

Han Li frowned and asked:

"Ti Hun? What kind of rare beast is that? I've never heard of it."

Princess Zhao Ziling snapped out of her shock and quickly explained to Han Li:

"Ti Hun is not a naturally born spirit beast. It's a strange lifeform forged by a secret demonic sect, existing between a spirit beast and a demonic soul. Though useless in daily life, it has the innate ability to absorb souls and devour ghosts. No matter how powerful a demon or vengeful spirit, if it's touched by the Ti Hun's nose, even lightly, it's sucked into its belly and completely dissolved within half an hour—truly terrifying." As she spoke, her face was filled with envy.

"But…" Princess Zhao Ziling paused, then sighed softly.

"But what?" Han Li was annoyed by her dramatic pause.

"But the method to forge this beast is known only to that secret sect, and the process is horrifically bloody and nearly impossible to succeed. It's a demonic art that offends Heaven. Legend says, whenever a Ti Hun appears, the cultivation world plunges into chaos." Ge Li, watching the black-robed man's retreating back, spoke with a complex expression.

"A Ti Hun appears—and the cultivation world descends into chaos?" Han Li let out a cold laugh.

"Even if this beast never appeared, the Star Chaos Sea would still descend into chaos when the time comes. Do you really believe it's this beast that brings disaster?" Han Li sneered.

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